A Dream Away
by CFCPD
Summary: "I wish you could stay," Gabby quietly muttered, tears spilling from her eyes. "Nothing is the same without you. There's no one to talk to..." "I'm only a dream away." When Gabby leaves Casey, she is paid a visit from a beloved friend who helps put everything back into perspective. Dawsey post 3x11. One-Shot.


Hello all! Back again with another one-shot. I'm sure most Dawsey fans would agree that Tuesday night's episode was a painful one. I've been playing around with some ideas in my head and this is what I came up with.

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters. All rights belong to NBC.

xXx

As the door closed behind her, the tears that she had been struggling to hold back cascaded down her face. The look on Casey's face when he had noticed that her bags were packed, the way his voice slightly cracked when the words 'Gabby, we can work this out,' quietly escaped his lips, she knew she had to get out of there and fast. If she stayed one more minute she would never leave. They needed this time apart. To figure everything out.

Could they really work it out? They had sworn to one another that they wouldn't let their relationship get in the way of their work, and vice-versa. Yet here she is, standing in the harsh winter wind with her bags packed and a sudden feeling creeping into her mind that she doesn't know where her home is. Not anymore.

Home used to be wherever Matt was. He was her home.

Now, she wasn't so sure.

She waits for a few seconds, her back turned towards the door, silently hoping that Matt will chase after her and tell her that she belongs with him. She's always belonged with him. A doubt has never crossed her mind, but she knew that leaving right now, giving them space, was possibly the only way to salvage their relationship. It was just too much for both of them. Maybe Casey was right, maybe it was too big for them.

A few seconds passed. No sign of Casey.

Broken and unsure, Gabby slowly walked away from her home.

xXx

Brett warmly welcomed Gabby into her new apartment. Having recently moved, she insisted that she had enough space, and that Gabby could stay for as long as she needed. As she prepared the guest room for Gabby, she wondered to herself how everything could fall apart for two people that seemed so genuinely in love. She had seen the way Casey looked at Gabby, the way his eyes could calm her with one simple look. It would be impossible not to notice those two. They had a different energy when they were together. You could feel their pull to one another. If Brett were being honest, Dawson and Casey's love gave her hope. A love so real, so intoxicating, couldn't be lost.

She knew that. She was sure Gabby and Casey would know soon too.

Smiling to herself, she thought that perhaps they already knew.

"If there's anything else you need just let me know," Brett offered, flashing her sweet smile in Gabby's direction.

"Thanks again. I'm so sorry for coming on such short notice, I-" Gabby was unable to finish her sentence before Brett was waving her off. "I told you, us girls have to stick together. Whatever you need, I'm here."

Gabby smiled, ready to get in the warm bed and sleep off the events of the day. Sleep would do her good. She quickly thanked Brett, changed into sweats, and got herself comfortable in bed. Minutes later, she succumbed to her drowsiness, closing her eyes, letting the darkness take over.

xXx

Gabby slowly woke up, her eyes blinking away the light. She briefly looked around the room, its contents all too familiar. It couldn't be. She was at Brett's. Severide had given this apartment up months ago, after Shay…

Shay.

"Well, it's about time you woke up."

Gabby's head snapped up. That voice. No, this couldn't be. It couldn't. She had watched her die.

"You look like you've seen a ghost," Shay teased, chuckling lightly. "Don't be too surprised, someone need to talk you into your senses and it wasn't gonna be Miss Optimism. By the way, a blonde paramedic? Really? How original."

Now it was Gabby's turn to laugh, the noise sounding unfamiliar to her. She quickly jumped off the couch, running to her best friend. As her hands encircled her slender frame, Gabby quickly sent up a thank you to whoever sent Shay to her.

At this point, both had tears falling freely down their cheeks, clutching onto one another for what seemed like an eternity, but what both knew would never be enough time. "

"You're here? You're really here?" Gabby asked, gliding her hands up and down her friends arms, trying to find some reassurance that this was real. "How? Shay, I watched you die. I couldn't- I couldn't save you."

"Hey, none of that. I'm here, but I'm only here to set you straight. God, I always knew you'd be a mess without me," Shay said teasingly. "So, tell me everything, I see you are the new candidate at 51. What's it like being bad-ass and fighting fires all day? Save any hot girls?"

"It's like you never left," Gabby smirked "How much time do you have?"

"As much time as you need."

With that Gabby started filling her confidant in on everything she had missed. Although, she had a sinking suspicion that Shay already knew everything, she told her anyway. She told her about Chief offering to look past her and Casey being in a relationship, how she became the new candidate. She even walked her through what her first fire was like, providing animated details when necessary. She told her about Severide's fleeting marriage, their living arrangements. She had been meticulous, doing her best to make sure she didn't leave anything out. Not one single detail. Daddy Boden, Molly's food truck, Cruz and Zumba, Shay sat quietly, taking it all in, nodding as her friend passionately recalled the past few months. Soon, the conversation turns back to Casey and Shay briefly smiles to herself. Gabby could never help herself, everything always led back to him, whether she wanted it to or not. Shay took this as her moment to ask.

"Okay, let's see it."

"Let's see what?"

"The ring, lady. I didn't come back here to listen to you go on and on about fires. Boring. Let me at it."

Gabby then got up, suddenly unaware of where her bags were in this new setting.

"Over there," Shay nodded towards the kitchen table. "By the way, we will be talking about that so don't think you're getting out of it."

Gabby shook her head. Typical Shay.

As she took the ring out of her bag and placed it back on her finger, she smiled to herself. Shay, excited to see the piece of jewelry on her best friend's finger, got up and pulled Gabby back to the couch. She pulled her finger closer to her face, smiling at her friend and boasted "We did a good job, didn't we? Who knew Casey and I would be the dream team?" Both girls were laughing now. "It's gorgeous, Gabby, which is why I'm a bit confused here. What are you doing without it on your finger? Are you crazy?"

"Shay, it-"

"It wasn't working, you both lost yourselves, you need space, blah blah blah. C'mon Gabby, you and I both know that is a load of bull. This is Casey we are talking about. You spent years pining over him, or did you forget? The guy loves you so much her was willing to put your wedding on hold just so you could be a candidate on his truck. So that he could always have his eye on you. To protect you. We both know that a job isn't bigger than the two of you. If that's a lie you're trying to tell yourself to convince yourself you made the right decision, fine, but don't insult my intelligence with that."

"We couldn't even talk anymore, it's like we became different people."

"Gabby, you're working under your fiancé. Of course it's going to be difficult, but packing your bags? Walking out? That's not the feisty Gabby I know and love. She was too stubborn to give up. She would have stayed and fought."

"Casey didn't even stop me from leaving, Shay. This is the right decision."

Shay was laughing now. "Oh, girl, if only you knew. You're both too stubborn to talk to each other to the point that you're going in circles. He's giving you the space he thinks you want. He doesn't think asking you to stay would have been fair to you. He knows how hard the decision to leave was for you to make, and he won't stand in your way. He won't keep hurting you."

Gabby stared at her friend, the shock evident on her face.

"Yeah, yeah, you hear and see a lot up there," Shay teased. "Gabby, you and I both know that you don't belong in Miss Optimism's apartment. Go back to Casey. Go home. For the love of God, do not make me kick your ass."

As the two girls hugged on the couch, Gabby held on tighter than necessary. She wasn't ready to say goodbye. Not for a second time.

xXx

"I wish you could stay," Gabby quietly muttered, tears spilling from her eyes. "Nothing is the same without you. There's no one to talk to. You always knew how to fix everything, to put things into perspective for me."

"I'm only a dream away," Shay smiled, wiping the tears from her Gabby's face.

"It's not enough," Gabby managed to get out.

"I know, honey, but I'm always free to kick your ass, so watch out. Oh, and one more thing," she said, looking back at Gabby's finger, "If you don't work things out, I may have to come back as a straight girl and snag Casey for myself." As the roars of laughter filled the air, Gabby felt the atmosphere shift. Shay turned to her friend with a knowing look. "You're waking up now, and when you do you need to pick up those bags that you so dramatically packed, and you are going back home. Do you understand?"

Gabby could only nod. The lump in her throat hindering her from speaking.

"One more thing. Since I had to come back and talk you off the edge, could you do something for me?"

"Anything," Gabby countered.

"Would you hug Severide for me. Tell him I love him. Always."

Just like that, Shay was gone.

xXx

Gabby woke once more in Brett's guest room. Frantically searching her surroundings, she was disappointed to find that her best friend was nowhere to be seen. Just the darkness. She quietly ejected herself from the bed, making it neat once more, and walked over to her bags. Searching the contents inside, she soon found what she was looking for, placing it back on her finger. For the second time that evening, she sent a smile up into the air, confident that her beloved partner was looking down.

She wrote a note for Brett, thanking her for her hospitality and friendship, picked up her bags, and once again made her way through the cold Chicago streets.

xXx

It was 3:37 AM when Casey heard a light knock on the door. As he tiredly wiped away at his eyes, he swiftly made his way to the front door, concerned about the news that could be waiting on the other side. As he opened the door, he was shocked to find his girl on the other side.

"Gabby, what-"

She threw her bags on the floor and flung herself into his arms, holding him tight to her, as if he were her lifeline. This time, she allowed her tears to fall, not bothering to hide them. "Hey," Casey said soothingly into her ear, "It's okay. It's okay. You're home."

He then walked them in the direction of their bedroom, where they laid on their bed, Gabby tucked into Casey's arms.

xXx

Gabby never told Casey about her dream, wanting to keep that moment between her and her dear best friend between them.

Severide was taken by surprise that morning when Gabby hugged him tighter than she ever had. "Shay loves you, you know that?" Severide smiled. He knew. He felt her too. As the three sat down to breakfast, Gabby gently clutched her best friend's necklace that hung around her neck.

She was always making things better.

Always.

xXx

There ya have it. Hope you enjoyed!


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